Intermediate Film is a year-long course emphasizing technical production in sync sound film making. Theoretical concerns and cinematic techniques are stressed. We explore concepts of (and the relationships between) narrative, documentary and experimental filmmaking. The first half of the Fall semester, students work in assigned teams, completing a series of short exercises. In the second half of the term, class members individually create their own longer films for final projects. Students screen their work in class at various stages of completion: rushes, rough cuts, and fine cuts. In addition, there are weekly screenings of works by relevant filmmakers. Participation in class discussions is required.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $500.00 Deposit $150.00

Please contact fav@risd.edu for permission to register; registration is not available in Workday.

Major Requirement | BFA Film/Animation/Video | Live Action

In the Directing class, students are encouraged to go beyond the first instinct or idea, and to develop a project to its fullest potential, particularly with respect to meaning and to potential modes of execution. Students work on a variety of scenes throughout the semester, complete several short assignments during and outside of class, and read handouts and excerpts from texts. An ongoing focus throughout the semester is an exploration of the methods of communication between directors and actors. Students direct each other, young actors from the Carriage House School, professional actors from the community (brought in for two classes), and actors of their choosing for final projects. As they direct rehearsals, students utilize a variety of specific tools that enable them to maximize the creativity and fertility of their relationships with actors, and to make adjustments in performances quickly and effectively. The latter third of the semester also focuses on techniques for script analysis. These are used to discover the range of creative possibilities in a given text, and to thoroughly prepare and organize directors for rehearsals and shoots. An ongoing, general goal of the course is also for each student to reflect upon and identify their personal themes as a director.

Department permission is required to register for this course; this course is not available via web registration. Please contact fav@risd.edu for permission to register.

Elective

In live action film and video, the act of moving the camera in space and time can result in a cinema which functions beyond the notion of plot. In this course students will learn from alternative ways of creating camera movement developed in the field of independent cinema, experimental film and video art. Students will gain technical skills in cinematography and learn ways to design and generate advanced camera movement. We will create wearable systems where movements are generated by our bodies as well as remotely controlled, motorized rigging systems.
 
The expansive field of sculpture can reimagine how movement and gesture are perceived and embodied through site specificity, intervention, and performativity. Students will learn strategies and practical skills for constructing large scale installations, lightweight structures, DIY forms and ready made sculptures. We will construct sets, engage with time and memory and examine how film processes such as editing, focus, and framing can be applied to a sculptural practice. 
 
Within the framework of the course, students may choose to  work with  narrative, non-narrative and non-fiction film projects, video installation and video art, scenic design and/or sculptural practices involved with time-based media and performance. Cross-disciplinary and collaborative  approaches are encouraged. 

Offered as SCULP-2150 and FAV-2150.

Open to Junior, Senior or Graduate Students.

Elective

In live action film and video, the act of moving the camera in space and time can result in a cinema which functions beyond the notion of plot. In this course students will learn from alternative ways of creating camera movement developed in the field of independent cinema, experimental film and video art. Students will gain technical skills in cinematography and learn ways to design and generate advanced camera movement. We will create wearable systems where movements are generated by our bodies as well as remotely controlled, motorized rigging systems.
 
The expansive field of sculpture can reimagine how movement and gesture are perceived and embodied through site specificity, intervention, and performativity. Students will learn strategies and practical skills for constructing large scale installations, lightweight structures, DIY forms and ready made sculptures. We will construct sets, engage with time and memory and examine how film processes such as editing, focus, and framing can be applied to a sculptural practice. 
 
Within the framework of the course, students may choose to  work with  narrative, non-narrative and non-fiction film projects, video installation and video art, scenic design and/or sculptural practices involved with time-based media and performance. Cross-disciplinary and collaborative  approaches are encouraged. 

Offered as SCULP-2150 and FAV-2150.

Open to Junior, Senior or Graduate Students.

Elective

In Film Practices, students learn 16mm film processes, skills, and techniques - as a material and conceptual foundation necessary for every time-based practice. Exposure, focus, depth of field, and basic editing strategies are explored as tools for becoming fluent in the language of cinema. Students will build an understanding of the various meanings conveyed by aesthetic decisions regarding composition, movement, and editing. Through individual and group projects, screenings, in-class assignments, and readings, students will explore key concepts in material-based filmmaking to build, expand, and deepen their time-based practice.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $220.00

Deposit: $150.00

Please contact fav@risd.edu for permission to register.

Major Requirement | BFA Film/Animation/Video

This course offers a deep investigation of the role that camera movement and composition, framing and sequencing of shots can play in live action digital cinema projects. We employ a visualist approach, where cinematography and movement are used to amplify a plot/performance and/or reach beyond conventional storytelling, by creating emotional or even physical/sensory reactions in a viewer. By focusing on and exploring the plasticity of time - using movement of the camera in space, the stretching of time through use of time-lapse, slow-motion and live action/stop motion animation hybrid methods - students build strong visions as directors and artist makers of moving images.  Borrowing methods used in independent cinema, experimental animation, film and video art, painting, sculpture, architecture and photography, students will consider what types of seeing can be developed by applying these approaches.
 
This course uses advanced motion control systems that are only available for this course (the eMotimo/dana dolly tracking system and custom build rigs/gimbals) which give students detailed control over their use of cinematic movement. In addition, we explore uses of lenses, including vintage lenses and filters to destroy/enhance the materiality of the digital image to emulate filmic looks. The course also offers an in-depth look into color correction and grading, where students can apply painterly approaches to the moving image. 
 
Students work collaboratively and individually on two short film projects and/or multi-channel installations, where the goal is to develop a strong artistic vision and create a distinct film experience for a viewer. Interdisciplinary approaches/collaborations are encouraged, and students from other departments at RISD are welcome.

Estimated Materials Cost: $50.00

Department permission is required to register for this course. Please contact fav@risd.edu for permission to register.

Elective